elsieOS in development
$  git log --oneline --phases

Roadmap and status

elsieOS is built in phases, and each one ends with something measured on real hardware before the next starts. Development began in November 2026. No dates are promised; the phases are.

00
Decisions
01
Prove fast switching
02
Base system
03
Chat models
04
GPU manager + ComfyUI
05
Updates, backups, dashboard
06
Apps
07
Installer
08
Beta
09
Release
donein progressnext
  1. 00

    Decisions and groundwork done

    The name, the scope of version 1 (chat models and ComfyUI sharing one card), the project and its backups.

  2. 01

    Prove fast switching done

    A prototype on an ordinary Linux install: a 15.2 GB model moved onto the card in about 0.31 s, against 2.71 s loading it from its files. The same mechanism turned out to fit into llama.cpp without rewriting it.

  3. 02

    Base system done

    The elsieOS image itself: A/B slots, the NVIDIA driver with signed modules under Secure Boot, the hardware watchdog, SSH and Tailscale. A broken update rolled back by itself on real hardware.

  4. 03

    Chat models as a drop-in for Ollama done

    The Ollama-compatible model server, model import from Ollama and the setup commands. Passed a 15.5-hour day standing in for a working Ollama machine with real apps.

  5. 04

    Fast switcher, GPU manager and ComfyUI in progress

    • Done: models park in pinned RAM instead of unloading - about 1 s per switch
    • Done: the prompt cache survives a park
    • Done: ComfyUI shares the card with the chat models - hand-overs in 0.27-0.86 s
    • Left: a stress test of chat, images and video together, running for hours without running out of memory
  6. 05

    Updates, backups and everyday tools next

    Signed update images, backups and a practised restore onto a blank drive, a status screen, and the first web dashboard: status, switching models, downloads and settings in a browser.

  7. 06

    Apps

    A package format for AI apps that gives each one GPU memory through the GPU manager, a catalogue (Open WebUI, Whisper, voice and music apps after Ollama-compatible chat and ComfyUI), an importer for your own apps, and a 30-day run on the first machine.

  8. 07

    Installable on anyone's machine

    A USB installer, hardware detection, a setup wizard, a model catalogue with "fits your GPU" ratings, moving over from any Ollama or ComfyUI machine, public update channels, and testing on RTX 30 and 40 series cards.

  9. 08

    Beta

    Outside testers from the local-AI community, on their own hardware.

  10. 09

    Version 1.0

    Then monthly security updates and urgent fixes straight away. Later: AMD cards, encrypted data, more than one GPU.

Want to test it when there is something to install? Join the beta, and follow r/elsieOS or @getElsieOS for the beta release news.